New York reports over 30 cases fearing disinfectant ingestion after Trump's dangerous call

After US President Donald Trump stated that if there was a possibility of treating COVID positive patients by injecting them with 'disinfectants',  the New York health Health Department has received several calls from people over fears that they had ingested bleach or other household cleaners. According to the Poison Control Center, a subagency of the city’s Health Department managed a total of 30 cases of possible exposure to disinfectants between 9 p.m. Thursday and 3 p.m. Friday. 

None of the people who reached out died or required hospitalization. According to reports, out of the cases reported, nine were specifically about possible exposure to Lysol. Ten were in regards to bleach and 11 about household cleaners in general. 

'Sarcastic claim'

Clarifying his statement,  Trump has now claimed that his comments were 'sarcastic' and nothing else. Doctors and health experts in the US rushed to issue a public advisory to people to not drink disinfectants after Trump during a White House briefing asked if there was a 'way we could inject them (disinfectants) inside'. "I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen," Trump clarified to the reporters.

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"It was asking a sarcastic and a very sarcastic question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside. But it does kill it, and it would kill it on the hands and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to the reporters," he added.

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Trump's 'disinfectant' comment

President Trump during a White House briefing said, "Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous- whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light," Trump said. "Supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way."

"Then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks (the virus) out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs," he added.

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